Pte 300434 Henry Whitthread Guile

• Age: 25
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 21st March 1918
• Commemorated at: Ham British Cem
  Panel Ref: I.E.23

Henry Whitthread Guile was born in 1892 in Liverpool and he was the son of Henry Whitthread Guile and his wife Elizabeth (née Don) who were married on the 07th January 1890 at St Mary's Church, Kirkdale. Henry was a 29 year old horse breaker of 12 Bourne Street, his father, Edward, deceased, whilst Elizabeth was aged 27 of 8 Hogarth Road, her father, James, was a brass finisher. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 10 Bourne Street, West Derby Road, Liverpool. His father Henry Whitthread aged 41, born 1860 in Liverpool is a horse breaker, whilst his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 35, born 1866 in Liverpool and has no occupation listed. They have five children at the time of the Census, all born in Liverpool. Henry Whitthread aged 9, born 1892, Bob aged 8, born 1893, Mary aged 6, born 1895, James aged 4, born 1897 and Catherine aged 3, born 1898. Also living at the address is  James Don, Henry's grandfather, an 82 year old widower, born 1819 in Scotland.

The 1911 Census shows the family now living at 12 Bourne Street, West Derby Road, Liverpool. Henry Whitthread is now aged 19, and employed as a cotton clerk. His father Henry Whitthread is now aged 52, still employed as a horse breaker and his mother, Elizabeth is aged 48,(now showing year of birth as 1863) and has no occupation listed. They have been married for twenty two years and have five children. His siblings are recorded as; Bob aged 17, an electric supplies assistant, Mary aged 16, is an assistant in a coat makers, James aged 14, is a junior clerk for a cotton office and Catherine aged 13 is a scholar. 

The family were Non-Conformist.

Henry enlisted in Liverpool in the 1/1st Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry and served as Trooper 250841 before being transferred to the 18th Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 300434.

Just weeks before Henry’s death, his father died suddenly, aged 61, on 29th January 1918.

Henry died of wounds on the 21st March, 1918, aged 25.

He now rests at Ham British Cemetery, France at I.E.23 where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"HE GAVE HIS ALL"

In January, February and March 1918, the 61st (South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station was posted at Ham, but on the 23rd March the Germans, in their advance towards Amiens, crossed the Somme at Ham, and the town remained in German hands until the French First Army re-entered it on the following 6th September.

Ham British Cemetery was begun in January 1918 by the 61st Casualty Clearing Station as an extension of Muille-Villette German Cemetery.

In 1919 the graves in the British Cemetery were regrouped and others were added from the following sites:-

HAM COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (the "Neuer Friedhof Chaunystrasse"); CROIX-MOLIGNAUX GERMAN CEMETERY (March and April 1918); ESMERY HALLON CHURCHYARD; VILLERS ST. CHRISTOPHE CHURCHYARD (March 1918); EPPEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (March 1918); and ST. SULPICE COMMUNAL CEMETERY.

Ham British Cemetery contains 485 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 218 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 14 soldiers, believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 39 casualties known to have been buried in other cemeteries whose graves were not found.

Other German Cemeteries in the area were HAM CHURCHYARD GERMAN EXTENSION; MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY and MUILLE-VILLETTE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION. The British Graves from these three were moved to either HAM BRITISH CEMETERY or ROYE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY.

MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY adjoins the West side of the British Cemetery. It now contains the graves of 1,113 identified and 420 unidentified German soldiers.

CWGC states age 26, Son of Henry Whitthread Guile and Elizabeth Guile, of 55, Woodhall Rd., Old Swan, Liverpool, attd. 21st Bde. Signals H.Q.

William’s Army effects, Army Pay of £11 3s, went to his mother, and siblings Mary, Catherine, and James. His brother Bob requested his share go to their mother.  Elizabeth received a War Gratuity of £10.  The pension card in the name of his mother at 12 Bourne Street, West Derby Road, shows a pension of 10/- a week.  Later her address was changed to 55 Woodhall Road, Old Swan.

His brother James enlisted in January 1915, as Private 24290 19th King's Liverpool Regiment, but was discharged two months later as not likely to become an efficient soldier, due to poor eyesight.

His brother Bob enlisted in December 1914 in the Royal Engineers as an electrician with the Cavalry Corps Signals, served 9 months in Africa, and two years 9 months in France. He was discharged in 1919.

We currently have no further information on Henry Whitthread Guile. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.